The Joe Biden administration will spend $800 million to help Ukraine manufacture long-range drones. The move escalates the proxy war against Moscow by handing Kiev another long-range munition. Additionally, the aid marks a rare step in Washington by spending American money on weapons produced by non-American arms manufacturers.
An unnamed Pentagon official who spoke with the New York Times confirmed that Washington had approved the aid package. President Volodymyr Zelensky said it would be the first tranche of American funds Kiev would receive to produce weapons in Ukraine.
While the Times did not specify what the capabilities of the drones would be, British Defense Minister John Healey said the UK planned to fund Ukrainian production of long-range drones that would be able to hit targets further away than the Storm Shadow missile that London has already sent to Kiev.
When asked if the UK was prepared to allow Ukraine to buy Storm Shadow missiles, Healey replied, “They are developing very heavily the use of even longer-range drones. They will work with us over how they use this money and on the weapons they most need.” The Storm Shadow has a range of 155 miles.
It is unclear how Kiev plans to grow a domestic arms industry when it lacks the air defense capabilities to protect much of its existing vital infrastructure.
Using American taxpayer funds to buy weapons from Ukrainian firms is also a significant shift in policy for Washington. Politicians in both parties have explained to their constituents that the war in Ukraine has benefitted the US economy because much of the $60 billion in military aid sent to Ukraine enriched American arms dealers.
Ukraine having access to longer-range weapons will also escalate the proxy war Washington is waging against Moscow. In response to Ukrainian attacks inside Russia, the Kremlin has altered its nuclear doctrine to allow for it to deploy its ultimate weapons if it is being attacked by one country backed by another nuclear power.
